Goran Dragic is on the verge of returning from missing over two months after undergoing knee surgery.
While Dragic was an All-Star point guard last season, Justise Winslow has been playing incredibly well at that same position since Dragic’s departure.
Many players of Dragic’s caliber would assume their right to reclaim the starting job upon return, but the Slovenian national has expressed some incredible flexibility to help encourage his younger teammate’s progression.
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“If Justise is going to play on the ball, I can play off the ball,” Dragic said after the team’s shootaround leading up to Thursday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “We can interchange. As long as we’re winning, that’s the most important thing. We have a lot of guys who can play the same position. That’s coach’s decision. I did it in Phoenix, I did it here. I can play off the ball.”
Dragic has not played since early December. In that month, Winslow averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
In the following month, he averaged 14.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Those averages mark two of the most consistent stretches in his career and it seems Dragic is willing to sacrifice to help his teammate’s growth continue.
Hopefully that flexibility leads to a lot of wins in the final third of the 2017-18 campaign.
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